Frankfurt offers visitors more than just an airport

Frankfurt's Römer plaza is the centre of the city's old district.Mark Stachiew/Postmedia News
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Frankfurt's Römer is a popular draw for visitors to the city.Mark Stachiew/Postmedia News
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Apfelwein, or apple wine, is a traditional beverage in Frankfurt, but local producers continue to innovate new blends of the popular beverage.Mark Stachiew/Postmedia News
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Frankfurt's markets are the ideal place to people watch.Mark Stachiew/Postmedia News
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Frankfurt's Senckenberg Natural History Museum is one of the city's many fine museums.Mark Stachiew/Postmedia News
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As one of Europe's primary financial centres, which also happens to be on the Main River, it is has earned the nickname "Mainhattan."Mark Stachiew/Postmedia News
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The pedestrian-only Eiserner Steg (Iron Bridge) across the Main is covered with colourful "love locks."Mark Stachiew/Postmedia News
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Sachsenhausen is an older district of Frankfurt on the northern side of the Main which is rapidly gentrifying.Mark Stachiew/Postmedia News
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Frankfurt has one of the busiest airports in Europe, which means the only part of the city many travellers get to see is the inside of a terminal building. Those who take the time to visit will find an international city overflowing with attractions worth discovering.

As the city centre is a mere 15 minutes away by train, Frankfurt can be easily explored even if you have an airport layover of a few hours. The city centre is also compact so it’s very walkable and you can visit a lot in a short time. If something is too far away, it’s easy to get around by taxi, tram, bus or subway and language is rarely an issue since English is widely spoken in a city that is the base for many multinational corporations and financial institutions.

Here are some ideas on things to do in the city based on how much time you have to visit:

AN AFTERNOON LAYOVER:

Take the train from the airport to the Hauptbanhof, Frankfurt’s main station for local and long-distance trains. Walk straight out the front door and walk the length of Kaiserstrasse, a street that runs through the city’s rapidly gentrifying red light district. It is filled with nice restaurants, cafes, ethnic groceries and shops of all sorts.

The road takes you toward the heart of Frankfurt’s old city and one of its most recognizable landmarks, Römerberg. It is a wide cobblestone plaza surrounded by historic buildings, or recreations of them since the originals were destroyed by bombing in the Second World War, including the iconic Römer which has served as Frankfurt’s city hall for more than 600 years.

Nearby is the towering spire of Frankfurt Cathedral, a gothic church dating from the 14th century that was where emperors of the Holy Roman Empire were selected. A tour of the church is a must and those who are fit enough to climb to the top of the 95-metre steeple can enjoy spectacular views of the city below.

The city’s tourist office is also located in Römerberg. You can book walking tours there or sign up for a hop-on, hop-off bus tour that will let you see the city’s highlights in a short time.

If an organized tour is not your thing, then simply wander the old city and soak up some atmosphere as you head towards the banks of the River Main where you can stroll along the green spaces that line the river that runs through the heart of Frankfurt which is more properly known as Frankfurt am Main.

AN OVERNIGHT STAY:

With a full day available, you can spend more time exploring the city. One relaxing way to do that is by taking a river cruise down the Main. You can book a 50-minute voyage upriver or a 50-minute cruise downriver. You can also combine the two legs for a 110-minute trip. On board, you can admire skyline views and enjoy a meal or a drink either on the top deck or in the cabin below.

Across the River Main from Frankfurt’s old city is Sachsenhausen, an area brimming with bars, restaurants and markets. It also boasts several historic buildings that escaped being bombed during the war. It is mostly in this district that you will find establishments serving apfelwein, or apple wine, a traditional drink associated with Frankfurt. It remains a popular beverage and is not merely a folkloric artifact for tourists. Some vendors are experimenting with apple varieties and blends of juices in order to elevate the quality of the drink in the way that grape vineyards do. The neighbourhood’s trendy Schweizer Strasse is the place to start your exploration.

Of the more charming attractions in Frankfurt are its many markets. They are mostly open year-round, but only operate on specific days of the week. They are as much about buying food as they are places to socialize and people-watch. Hang out for a while, drink some beer, eat some sausage and you’ll make new friends in no time. If you only have time to see one market, try the Kleinmarkthalle, an indoor food market that operates six days a week. If you visit in the winter months, Frankfurt boasts one of Germany’s finest Christmas markets.

A WEEKEND VISIT:

Frankfurt has an embarrassing number of museums, 34 of them to be exact, and you can buy a pass that lets you visit as many of them as you can manage in two days. Among the more popular places to visit are the Museum of Communication, the Museum for Modern Art and the Senckenberg Museum of Natural History. To make life easier, many of the city’s museums are clustered along the south side of the River Main in Sachsenhausen in an area known as the Museum Embankment. In August, there is a Museum Embankment Festival where the museums remain open all night and host special events both inside and outdoors along the river.

When you get hungry, the city has a plethora of restaurants serving cuisine from all over the world, but if you want to sample traditional Frankfurt fare head to one of the apple wine establishments in old Sachsenhausen. Start with some handkäse, literally hand cheese, a sour-milk cheese appetizer served with fried onions. For your main course, order boiled beef or loin ribs with green sauce. Green sauce, or grüne sosse, is a traditional sauce made with seven different herbs and is used in a variety of ways. End the meal with a frankfurter kranz for dessert, a type of cake filled with jam or cream.

In the evening, you could take in one of the city’s many cultural attractions such as its excellent English Theatre. Not usually on official tourist itineraries, but of interest to Canadian visitors in the fall and winter months the Eissporthalle Frankfurt, home of the city’s professional hockey team, the Löwen, or Lions. If your only exposure to hockey has been an NHL arena, then the fanaticism of German fans will amaze you.

Frankfurt may not have the profile of big German cities like Berlin or Hamburg, but it is every bit as dynamic as either of them and packs a lot of excitement in a small package, making it more than just a place to catch an airplane to some other destination.

IF YOU GO:

HOW TO GET THERE:Lufthansa (www.lufthansa.com) has direct flights to Frankfurt from Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Calgary. It also has flights to Ottawa, but not during the winter. Air Canada (www.aircanada.com) also operates direct flights to the German city from the same Canadian cities, minus Ottawa.

WHEN TO GO:Frankfurt is a year-round destination, but it is especially popular in June, July, September and December. If you want to go when it is less busy, book a trip for April, August or October.

Kempinski GravenbruchConveniently located near the airport with luxurious rooms, excellent service and two fine restaurants. Adjacent to a nature park, staying at this hotel feels like you are in the country. It’s only drawback is it is a bit far removed from the city centre.www.kempinski.com/en/frankfurt/hotel-gravenbruch

Schlosshotel KronbergIf the idea of staying at the castle of Queen Victoria’s eldest daughter appeals to you, then a stay at this historic palace is a must. Overflowing with history, fantastic art at every turn, antique furnishings along with service and food fit for royalty, this hotel is an absolute treat.www.schlosshotel-kronberg.de

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